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Gulf markets · Manama

Bahrain

In Bahrain, the State’s non-oil and gas assets are managed by Mumtalakat, the Kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund, and social insurance savings by the Social Insurance Organization. A single regulator, the Central Bank of Bahrain, covers banking, insurance, investment business and capital markets.

Sovereign and state investors

Mumtalakat

Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company is the sovereign wealth fund of the Kingdom, established by Royal Decree in 2006 and wholly owned by the Government. Its primary focus is managing non-oil and gas assets, which it structures into International Investments, Local Investments and Government Holdings.

Mumtalakat’s portfolio

Mumtalakat reports consolidated total assets of USD 19.2 billion as of 31 December 2024, with more than 50 portfolio companies and operations in 13 countries. About 75% of its investments are in the Middle East and North Africa, 16% in Europe and 9% in the United States.

Family offices and private wealth

In September 2023 the Central Bank of Bahrain introduced a family office licence category under Volume 4 (Investment Business) of its Rulebook. It is for firms serving multiple families, which may provide services such as wealth management advice, investment management, custody, trust services and fund management.

Institutional investors

Social Insurance Organization (SIO)

Established under Law No. 3 of 2008, replacing the Public Pension Fund Authority and the General Organization for Social Insurance. Its audited net assets were BD 1.72 billion at 31 December 2025, including investment securities of BD 1.16 billion.

Osool Asset Management

Osool Asset Management Company B.S.C. (c), 63.06% owned by the SIO, was established to manage financial instruments and to direct the SIO’s collective investment undertakings.

Financial centres and regulators

The financial sector is Bahrain’s largest non-oil contributor to GDP, at 17.8% of real GDP in the fourth quarter of 2025. Banking sector assets were USD 254.4 billion at December 2025, across 83 banks, and the CBB had issued 377 licences.

Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB)

Established under the Central Bank of Bahrain and Financial Institutions Law of 2006 as successor to the Bahrain Monetary Agency. It is the sole regulator of the financial sector, covering banking, insurance, investment business and capital markets, and it manages the government’s reserves and debt issuance.

Bahrain Bourse

An exchange licensed by the CBB. On 9 February 2026 it announced a Capital Market Development Plan for 2026 to 2028, with 46 initiatives over three years to diversify market offerings and deepen liquidity. Its market capitalisation was BD 8.0 billion at the end of 2025, according to the CBB.

Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB)

The investment promotion agency with overall responsibility for attracting investment into the Kingdom.

National agenda

Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2030, launched in 2008, rests on three guiding principles, sustainability, competitiveness and fairness, and aims for the private sector to be able to drive economic growth independently by 2030.

Sharia-compliant finance

According to the Central Bank of Bahrain, Islamic banking assets were USD 67.1 billion at December 2025, 26.4% of total banking sector assets.

Manama is home to two international standard-setters for Islamic finance: AAOIFI, established in 1991, and the International Islamic Financial Market (IIFM), established under Royal Decree No. 23 of 2002.

Working week and time zone

Government working week
Sunday to Thursday, 07:00 to 14:15, in most government entities.
Weekend
Friday and Saturday.
Time zone
UTC+3 (Arabia Standard Time), three hours ahead of GMT; no daylight saving time.

Preparing a raise in Bahrain

Most government entities work Sunday to Thursday on UTC+3. A process that also involves the UAE or Europe therefore has Monday to Thursday as its shared working window.

The CBB is the single regulator for banking, insurance, investment business and capital markets, so the regulatory perimeter for a raise in the Kingdom sits with one authority. How a raise may be presented there is a question for legal counsel before materials are circulated.

Artane Partners has no affiliation with, and is not endorsed by, any institution named on this page.

Sources

Each figure is given as its source published it, with the date stated on this page. All sources were accessed on 23 October 2026.

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